Vehicle side frame truss



Se t. 24, 1940.

l I INVENTOR. v I Wzllzam1b572eppard N v I ATTORNEY. I

Sept. 24, 1940. WV.IL,. snEPPAa'D 2,216,025

VEHL ICLE SIDE FRAME TRUSS ATTORNEY. I

WWW

Patented Sept. 24, 1940 I 1 UNITED STATES I vanicna'smn FRAME 'rn'uss '7 Williaiiih Sheppard, Philadelphia, 'Pa., assignor to Edward G; Budd Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pa a corporation of Pennsylv vania,

Applicationl Novimber 26, 19st, Serial 156,116,468

--5Claima (epicsssay I The invention relatesfto rail car bodieslor the like and particularly to the vertical side wall 1 truss'stru'ctures or such bodies adapted to carry acsubstantial portion of the loads. p '5 g In general, it is a main object of, the invention to provide such a structure having a minimum weightconsistentl withthe load it iS ,designedto' carry and toproduce such a structure atia considerable saving in chst of manufacturing, 10 It isa further object to provide suchia structure which will mcreefliciently take the loads, which I will-effect a saving in the number of parts enter-' ing into the structure, -a saving in assembly oper; atins, and which will permit a largerv degree of, 1 standardizationbfj parts "entering into thestruc} ture.

These objects are in large measure achieved by an arrangement of the diagonals of the" truss I structure" such that they radiate from common pointsintermediate the top and bottom of the Other a'nd further objects and the manner in which they are attainediwill becomeclearirom the following detailed description when read in v connection with the drawings iorming a part thereof. 1 w

Inthe drawings; Figure 1' is a fragmentary perspective view, parts being shown in section; of part 'ofthe 0 side wall of a rail" car body structure having the invention embodied therein. Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevationalview of a part of the side wall truss structure ac cording to the invention, parts being broken away 35 to show the joint from which the diagonals radiate. v v I I p V Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view on anfenlarged' scale through the joint, the sectionbeing taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Figure zlooking in the direction of the arrows at the end of the section line. I f I Asshown in the drawings, the invention is applied to a light weight rail car construction p p p v my also comprises a'composite sill structure conin which'the vertical side trusses are main load 4 carryingelements of the structure. Such trusses usually comprise through-running'bottom sills or chords Ill arranged substantially at thefloor level of the body, through-runninginterniediate sills or chord members I I arranged just below the win- 5U dow openings I2 and through running top sills or chords I3 arranged just abovethe windowopenings I2. The vertical members of the trusses comprise relatively closely longitudinally spaced posts I4 and I5 rising between two adjacent 55 window openings which openings are relatively wide ascompared to the spacing between the posts I44 and ISI This arrangement provides a series of pairs'lofgpoststll and ,I5, one" pair arranged betweeneach pair of adjacent window openings. Acc'ordingto the invention,the truss is com 6 pletedby sets "of diagonals I6; H; and I8 radiating from their connection with anintermediate portion of th'eIDost I5 to'the top and bottom of the adjacent closely spaced post, I4 and 'to the bottom of thepost H ,on the other side of the ,window openingfadjacentthepost l5. To'fur I ther interconnect the bottom chord III andthe intermediate chord I I and to stabilize the long diagonal I8, "they may be interconnected by the: vertical member]!!! at an intermediateulocation 15 between thewidely spaced posts I 4 and, I5. .The', posts I5 from'which the diagonals radiate or at which they are focused may be'of'lighter con:- struction than posts I I. Infthe drawin'gsthese 1 posts I 5 are simple channels facing longitudinally '20 w i h v p sts u va rei ia'terally facing flanged channelsr m. I

According to the form of theinvention shown, thebottom chord I0 is a built-up structure consisting or a throughrunning outer flangedchan- 25 nel' 20, a through-running inner vertically deep platellf; a" through-running floor stringer oi'in wardly facing; channel'section 22 and a bottom Y angle, a end a topidownwardiy facingchannel ll, 'I'hese'parts; are spot welded together intheir overlapping regions to Iorn'i a strong box-section sill structure; The top of thissill structure may be additionally reinforced, by athrough-runningangle 25 spot welded throughrone' of its armsto the top margin oi the plate ZI'.

, k The intermediate si1l.I l is'also a built-up structure con prlsing the through-running outer flanged channel 26, the inner through-running plate 2'I', and the top and bottom channels 28 and 29 spacing the through members and spot welded b sectionsill tructures: p v

The top chordmember Iiin the final assemthereto in their overlapping portions'to form box-' sisting of anouter inwardly facing through-rum ning flangedchannel 30, an inner through runnin'g plate 3 I and upwardly and downwardly racing flanged through-running channels 32 and 33 h spacing' the channel 30 and plate 3| and spot welded thereto throughout their length 'and' to ing side walls spot welded in the case of the bottom sill to the plate 2| and flanges of the channel 20, and in the case of the intermediate sill H to the plate 21 and to the flanges of the channel 26;

Similarly the posts M which are shown as outwardly facing flanged channels also pass through sills l0 and II and are secured through their flanges tothe flanges of the channels 20 and 26 and through their bottom walls to the plates' 2| and 21.

At the top, posts [4 and I5 telescope within the channel 33 of the top sill l3 and are spot welded to the side walls thereof.

To more securely tie the posts I4 and I5 into the longitudinal members H], II and I3, gussets are provided and these gussets are to a considerable degree standardized so that the same gusset can be used in a number of different locations. For example, the gussets 34 for securing the posts 15 to the bottom sill l0 and the posts I4 tothe intermediate sill II are identical. So also the inner and outer gussets 35 and 36 for securing the top of the posts 14 to the top sill I3 may be'identical except for a cut-out in the gusset 35 to receive a window. Also the outer and innergussets 31 and 38 for securing the top of the post IE to the top sill l3 are identical except for this cut-out. Likewise the generous outer and inner gussets 39 and 40 which join the intermediate sill ll, post l5 and the diagonals |6,ji1 and I8 radiating therefrom are also identical in form.

As shown in Figures 2 and'3, these gussets have a substantial overlap with the side walls of the post l5, the flanges of the through-running longitudinal channel 26, the plate 21 and the ends of the channels 28 and 29 and are welded to these members by a generous number of spot welds to these overlaps. As shown in Figure 3, the ends of the channels 28' and 29over1apping the gussets are inwardly offset to an extent equal to the thickness of the'metal of the gussets so as to provide a flat face for the securement of the through-running channel 26 and the through-running plate 27. I

The diagonal I6 is stiffened by formingit of two channels secured back to back and is tele scoped between the gussets 39 and to which it is spot welded through the side walls of the channels forming it. At its, opposite end the diagonal i6 is similarly telescoped between the gussets 35 and 36 and 'spot welded to them through the side walls of its channels. The diagonal I8 is similarly formed and similarly joined to the gussets 39 and 40 at one end. At its opposite end it is telescoped between the plate 2| and an outer gusset 4| of generous proportions and is spot welded through the side walls of its channels to the plate and gusset. This gusset also has a wide overlap with the post and with the bottom sill l0 and is connected thereto by spot welding through said overlap. The diagonal I1 is of lighter construction than the diagonals l6 and I8 being a simple channel telescoped at one end between the gussets 39 and 49 and spot welded thereto through its side walls and at the opposite end between the plate 2| and gusset 4| to which it is similarly secured through its side walls.

The vertical members l9 extending between the intermediate sill II and the bottom sill Ill are preferably formed in two parts, theadjacent ends of which telescope within the channels of the diagonal and. are secured thereto by spot welding, their opposite endsextending respectively between the outer and inner through-running members of the intermediate and bottom chords and being spot welded thereto.

By reference to Figure 2, it will be noted that the axes of the diagonals l6, l1 and I8 all pass through the mid-point of the joint between the post 15 and the longitudinal chord 'H so that the stresses are uniformly distributed, Also this arrangement of diagonals permits the joinder of the diagonals to the post l5 with the minimum number of welds and provides'a structure which can most efliciently take the loads to which it is subject by reason of the fact that most of the loading on'the diagonals-is in tension. Since this is so, the structure can be correspondingly lighti such as to place the welds joining these posts in shear and to, constitute the connectionsbe'tween these posts substantially of equal strength on opposite sides of the central vertical longitudinal plane of the truss. e

Reference is. made herein to copending application Serial No. 193,870, filed March 4, 1938, a division ofapplication Serial No. 720,650, filed April 14,; 1934, (now Patent No. 2,171,434); this copending application showing a side wall truss structure generally similar to the truss shown in this application and claiming common subject matter. 2 v

While I have herein describeda specific form which the invention may take, it will be under stood that changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art which still fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A load carrying side'frame truss for vehicle bodies comprising a bottom chord adjacent the floor level of the body, a top chord above the window openings of the body and an intermediate chord below the window openings, said chords comprising through running outside and inside elements, angular section posts arranged in pairs between the window openings and each pair of posts being closely spacedas compared with the width of the window openings, said posts passsecured thereto, and angular section diagonals focused at the joint between one. of the posts of a pair and the intermediate chord and extending from said joint, respectively, one to the joint of the bottom of the other post of a pair with the bottom chord, another to the joint of the top of said other post with the top chord, and a third to the joint of the other post of an adjacent pair with the bottom chord, the diagonals being securedthrough opposed outside and inside gussets to the joints of the posts and chords substantial- 1y equally on the opposite sides thereof so that the compression or tension loads thereon are sub stantially equally distributed on the opposite sides of the vertical central plane of the truss.

2. A load carryingside frame truss for vehicle bodies ,comprising'bottom, intermediate and top chords, said chords comprising through running and passing between the outsldeand insldeelements thereof and secured thereto; 'and angular section diagonals radiating from the joint-of one of said postslwith the intermediate, chord,= one to the joint betweenthebottoniof an adjacent post and the bottom chord, another to'the' joint between the top of said adjacent postandthe top chordand third to the joint between thebottom of a third post and the bottom chord, said diagonals bQing secured through opposed outside and insidegussetsto the jointsof the "posts and chords substantially equally on the opposite sides thereof sotha't the compression .or tension loads thereon are substantially equally distributed on the opposite sides of the vertical central plane of thetruss.

3. 'A load carrying vehicle body side frame truss 7 comprising bottom,"intermediate and top chords,

I diating from the joint between one of saidiposts said chords comprisingv through running outside and inside elements and bridging members joining said outside and inside elements, angular section posts interconnecting said chords and passing between the outside and inside elements thereof, said posts being alternately closely and widelyspaced, and angular section diagonals rawith the intermediate chord. one to the joint between the bottom of a closely spaced post with the bottom chord, anotherv to a joint between the top of said closely spaced post with the top chord and a thirdto thejoint between the'bottom of 5 a widely spacedpost and the bottom chord, said 'diagonals' being secured through opposed outside and 'inside-gussetsto the joints of the posts and chords substantially equally on opposite'sides thereof scam the compression or tension loads thereon are substantially equally distributed on 4. A vehicle body side frame truss'according to clainr3 in which a vertical strut'joins the inbottom andintermediate chords.

' the opposite sides of the vertical central plane a of the truss. 4

, 5. A vehicle bocly side frame truss according to -claim 2 in which the radiating diagonals are joined for equal distribution ofthe loads thereon to the posts andinte'rmediate chords by inside and'outsidegussets common to tlie radiating' diagonals andiintervened between the posts and the inside and outside chord elements, respectively.

WILLIAM L. SHEPPARD.

l5 termediate' portion of the long diagonal to-the- Y 

